Zip-a-dee-doo-dah Tip For Today: Yes, Dear

The Zip-a-dee-doo-dah Tip For Today is a series of short inspirational videos, stories, assignments, or quotes that I hope will inspire you to be the very best version of yourself that you can be every single day.

Today's quote comes to us from my wonderful husband, Jason.

"Yes, Dear."

Since we have been married, Jason and I have only improved our relationship. We have fallen into a nice, comfortable rhythm and I couldn't be happier. All my needs are met and whenever I request something, Jason responds with "Yes, Dear" and a smile. I love being married and I cannot wait to start our new adventure together :)

Does this quote inspire you? Join the conversation by leaving a comment! Have a magical day!

Good Manners at Body Wars

I like to balance things out on my blog so that I discuss both good and bad manners encountered in the Disney Parks. This is the story of my very last trip on Body Wars in 2003 and the Castmember that made it so special!

In 2003, I visited Walt Disney World with my Mother and Sister. We went in October and got to see all the Halloween decorations for the first time (now our #1 favorite time of year). It was a magical trip but I felt devastated to leave. I was 23, single, and having a lot of trouble getting a career going. I had already graduated college so the Disney College Program was already a lost cause for me. I felt like I didn't want to go home because there wasn't much of a life to return to. I wanted to soak up every single minute of the magic that I could!

On the last day of our trip, my Mom and Sister were tired but I wanted to go to EPCOT one last time. I woke up early and got there right when it opened. I have no problem touring the parks alone, you can get so much done! Plus I tend to talk to strangers more when I'm alone so I meet more people.

I made a beeline for the Wonders of Life pavilion to take a trip on Body Wars. EPCOT was incredibly empty that morning. I remember walking around wondering if it was really open because I didn't see any other guests by the Fountain of Nations. When I entered the Wonders of Life pavilion, it was completely empty. I walked up to the line for Body Wars and I was the only guest there. I saw a group of Castmembers so I walked up to them and asked if the ride was open. They smiled and said I was very lucky because I would get to ride by myself. I didn't really want to ride by myself so I invited the Castmembers to ride with me. Only one was able to accept my offer because the others had to operate the ride.

I wish that I started writing trip reports earlier in my Disney travels because I cannot for the life of me remember this Castmember's name. I know she was in the College Program because I talked her ear off about her experience. I was beating myself up for not doing the College Program but, as you probably know, I'm following my dream in another way and relocating to Orlando in April 2012. But that's another story...

This Castmember ended up making a very special memory for me. Even though I didn't know it at the time, that was to be my very last trip on Body Wars. It was closed in 2007 and I wouldn't return to Walt Disney World until 2009. She said the best seats were in the back and boy was she right. We had a few minutes to chat before the ride started because it was the first ride of the day. She was just so sweet and I ended up pouring my heart out to her about how I didn't want to go home and I wish I had done the College Program. She said I could always go back and get my Master's Degree and do the College Program that way. I ended up putting my Master's Degree on hold but I did go to a meeting about the College Program at a local Community College. I still never ended up doing the College Program! Well it all worked out, I ended up meeting my prince in a bar in my hometown so I'm definitely not regretting my decision :)

It's Castmembers like this that make trips to Walt Disney World extra magical. I'm really looking forward to being a Florida resident and becoming friends with many Castmembers!

Please enjoy this full ride through video of Body Wars!

Does this story inspire you? Join the conversation by leaving a comment!

Zip-a-dee-doo-dah Tip For Today: Please Stand Clear of the Doors

The Zip-a-dee-doo-dah Tip For Today is a series of short inspirational videos, stories, assignments, or quotes that I hope will inspire you to be the very best version of yourself that you can be every single day.

One of my favorite things from Walt Disney World is the monorail speil and especially the spanish version of "Please Stand Clear of the Doors"!

 

Whenever I'm feeling down, I can think back on all the times I tried to teach people how to say "Por favor manténgase alejado de las puertas" and all the laughs we've had. There is just something so magical about arriving at your Walt Disney World resort, smelling the Disney air conditioning, and hopping on the monorail. When I hear the monorail spiel, I know I'm home!

Does this quote inspire you? Join the conversation by leaving a comment! Have a magical day!

Zip-a-dee-doo-dah Tip For Today: Memories From My Childhood - Ducktales Woo OOO

The Zip-a-dee-doo-dah Tip For Today is a series of short inspirational videos, stories, assignments, or quotes that I hope will inspire you to be the very best version of yourself that you can be every single day.

To finish up this week's Memories From My Childhood series, I want to share with you the full Ducktales Intro! Sing along with me Woo OOO!

Life is like a hurricane
Here in Duckburg
Race cars, lasers, aeroplanes
It's a duck-blur
Might solve a mystery
Or rewrite history

CHORUS:
DuckTales (oooh ooooh)
Every day they're out there making
DuckTales (oooh ooooh)
Tales of daring do bad and good
LuckTales

D-D-D-Danger! Watch behind you
There's a stranger out to find you
What to do? Just grab on to some....

CHORUS:
DuckTales (oooh ooooh)
Every day they're out there making
DuckTales (oooh ooooh)
Tales of daring do bad and good
LuckTales (oooh ooooh)

Not pony tales or cotton tales, no
DuckTales (ooh ooooh)

 

Are you a Ducktales fan? Join the conversation by leaving a comment! Have a magical day!

Zip-a-dee-doo-dah Tip For Today: Memories From My Childhood - Ducktales NES Game

The Zip-a-dee-doo-dah Tip For Today is a series of short inspirational videos, stories, assignments, or quotes that I hope will inspire you to be the very best version of yourself that you can be every single day.

Continuing on with Memories From My Childhood, today I want to share with you a video of an amazing playthrough of the Ducktales NES Game by Capcom.

This was one of my favorite games growing up. I actually still have my original NES, controllers, and Game Genie! Looking back, this game was incredibly hard! I think that's what makes this playthrough video so good. I don't think I ever beat this game without using the Game Genie but I played it a LOT!

Does this video inspire you? Join the conversation by leaving a comment! Have a magical day!

Zip-a-dee-doo-dah Tip For Today: Memories From My Childhood - Mickey's Magical TV World Show

The Zip-a-dee-doo-dah Tip For Today is a series of short inspirational videos, stories, assignments, or quotes that I hope will inspire you to be the very best version of yourself that you can be every single day.

Yesterday I shared the Disney Afternoon TV Intro. Another one of my favorite memories is Mickey's Magical TV World Show performed in Mickey's Starland in the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World from 1991 - 1994. Please enjoy the full video!



Does this video inspire you? Join the conversation by leaving a comment! Have a magical day!

Zip-a-dee-doo-dah Tip For Today: Memories From My Childhood - The Disney Afternoon

The Zip-a-dee-doo-dah Tip For Today is a series of short inspirational videos, stories, assignments, or quotes that I hope will inspire you to be the very best version of yourself that you can be every single day.

Today I wanted to share a video of one of my favorite childhood memories - The Disney Afternoon!

Ah, this takes me back. I can remember coming home from school wearing my jams,  jelly shoes, and slap bracelets so excited to watch Ducktales, Talespin, Goof Troop, Darkwing Duck, and Gummi Bears. The lineup changed over the years but I always watched it religiously! I have been at parties before where everybody randomly started singing the different theme songs. I definitely miss Ducktales the most  (Woo-ooo) because Scrooge McDuck is one of my all time favorite Disney characters. I miss my Disney Afternoon! Thanks for the memories :)

Are you a fan of The Disney Afternoon? Join the conversation by leaving a comment! Have a magical day!

Zip-a-dee-doo-dah Tip For Today: Can't is a 4 Letter Word

The Zip-a-dee-doo-dah Tip For Today is a series of short inspirational videos, stories, assignments, or quotes that I hope will inspire you to be the very best version of yourself that you can be every single day.



Today I have an inspirational story for you. Very often I hear people say that they can't do something for one reason or another. Well, folks, I am here to tell you that you can do anything you set your mind to. In May 2011, Jason and I were waiting in a Celebrity Fastpass line at Star Wars Weekends surrounded by a ton of locals who had camping gear, food, and other comforts that we did not have but would have been nice at 4AM. During that time, I had been interviewing for a position where I would work from home 100% and we started thinking that when (not if!) I got it, we would finally be able to move to Orlando. But when? We were getting married in September 2011 (which would take all of our savings) and the lease on our house would be up in April 2012. Would that be enough time after the wedding to save up and coordinate such a big move? Most people would say no. I know people who have planned a move to Florida for years. But, we threw caution to the wind and decided to move in April anyway. It's scary, we barely have enough money, and we hardly have time to clean out all of our junk and sell our furniture. But, a good friend told me that if you wait for the perfect conditions, you will never get anything done.

I did get the job, we had the perfect wedding and honeymoon, and now it's 2012. We are moving forward with our relocation plans and now I have a realtor! We just bought airfare for our trip next month to go house hunting. So that means that in just about 6 weeks we will sign our new lease and put down a deposit!!! 6 WEEKS?! Then it's roughly another 6 weeks until we move. Wow, we have a lot of work ahead of us but it is very exciting!! We are looking forward to attending Star Wars Weekends 2012 as Florida residents!

Whatever you think you can't do, you can. If it's weight loss, you can. If it's a new job opportunity, you can. All it takes is a little faith, trust, and pixie dust! ;)

Does this story inspire you? Join the conversation by leaving a comment! Have a magical day!

WDW Fairytale Engagement and 30th Birthday Celebration 9.2010

This is my love story, from the beginning with my September 2010 Engagement and 30th Birthday Celebration Trip Report (originally posted on WDWMagic). Stay tuned for the trip report from our wedding planning trip during Star Wars Weekends 2011!

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Hello everybody! I hope you enjoy my trip report for my 30^th Birthday celebration week September 19^th – 25^th, 2010. It was another successful Walt Disney World vacation filled with magic and a surprise engagement! It was everything I could have ever hoped for and I can’t wait for my Disney Fairy Tale Wedding!!!

I used many different iPhone apps on this trip. I will have an analysis at the end but here’s the list:

TripIt (Free)

WDW Maps ($2.99)

WDW Hours (Free)

WDW Waits (Free)

WDW Dining (Free)

What 2 Ride (Free)

WDW Lines (need to be a member at touring plans, app is free)

Undercover Tourist ($3.99)

GateGuru (Free)

iTripBook ($0.99)

I really liked iTripBook. I kept a journal the entire trip and it will make it SO much easier to write my TR. I mean it, I really wrote down every last detail!

Now let’s get started!

Day 1 Animal Kingdom Lodge Arrival
Day 2 FOOD!
Day 3 The Engagement!
Day 4 There's A Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow
Day 5 Toy Story Mania & Hollywood Brown Derby
Day 6 Les Chefs De France
Day 7 The Last Day & App Wrap Up

Dealing With Disney Haters

All my life, people have found my Disney obsession odd. I think they thought it was cute when I was little but expected me to "grow up". In the words of Peter Pan, "I'll never grow up, never grow up, never grow up! Not me!"

There are people who are polite about my Disney obsession but there are also those who make fun of me and try to bring me down. Once, I was at a party at a friend's apartment and some drunk guy heard me talking about Disney and he said to me "Eff Mickey Mouse". I had to leave before I punched him in the face. What a rude thing to say! I also had a horrible boss who asked me if I knew that Walt was an anti-Semite.  Queue the Liz Lemon over-the-top eye roll sequence. I cannot believe that people still think that horrible old rumor is true. Then there was the time I went to get my eyebrows waxed for my Disney wedding and the aesthetician said she used to live in Orlando and she never wanted to see another mouse. No tip for her! Then, when we began planning our Disney wedding, there were people who went on and on about how Universal is better and they don't like Disney World. I don't hate Universal, I've been there before and it's neat. But it is not better than Disney in my mind and anyone that would say that to me is doing so to get a rise out of me. I don't appreciate that. I can name any number of other situations I have been in but these four in particular stand out in my head.

What upsets me about these people is that I actually used to let them get me down. From 2003 - 2007 I became detached from Disney. I felt like it was weird for me to be in my 20's and still obsessing over something that is geared for children. What I came to find out is that Disney is really not just for children. It wasn't until I became a part of the Disney Online Community that I realized a Disney obsession is a healthy obsession. I have met some of the best friends I've ever had because of my Disney obsession. The one thing we all have in common is that we are extremely kind, happy people. We are a group of people who want to inspire and help others to raise them up instead of tearing them down.

People who try to bring others down are extremely dysfunctional. Teasing in any form is something that I do not tolerate. Bullying is an extreme form of teasing. A bully will tease you constantly in order to get a reaction. They actually feel better about themselves when they tear others down. Recently, I was watching an episode of Too Fat For Fifteen on bullying and the expert suggested that you respond to a bully by saying "That was rude. I don't need this, I'm outta here." I really liked this advice because I was always told to ignore it but then I would bottle it up and eventually explode. Dealing with it in an assertive, not aggressive, manner is a better way to deal with it IMHO.

Just keep in mind that there is a time and place for your Mickey Mouse crocs, Disney Nerds gear, Disney Dooney, and any other Disney paraphernalia you may have. I fully understand that when I visit the grocery store in Baltimore with my Mickey Mouse tee, crocs, and purse, I'm going to get some weird looks. That's a big factor why I'm moving to Orlando!!

Have you dealt with Disney haters? How did you deal with it? Join the conversation by leaving a comment!

Zip-a-dee-doo-dah Tip For Today: Reward Yourself

The Zip-a-dee-doo-dah Tip For Today is a series of short inspirational videos, stories, assignments, or quotes that I hope will inspire you to be the very best version of yourself that you can be every single day.

Today I have an assignment for you. It is a new year and I want you to reflect on the past year and reward yourself for any goals you attained. Even if it's small, if you set a goal and attain it, you should reward yourself!

2011 was obviously the best year of my life. I planned my dream Disney wedding, applied for and got an awesome new job, saw George Lucas and Bob Iger at the opening of Star Tours 2.0, met my goal weight, overcame a lifelong fear of public speaking due to my moderate stutter, got married at Disney's Wedding Pavilion, met many of my online Disney friends, started my own Disney blog, started a technology blog, and to end the year we had the best Christmas we've ever had. I am so blessed to have so many awesome people in my circle of friends and family. I'm looking forward to an even better year in 2012!!

Does this assignment inspire you? Join the conversation by leaving a comment! Have a magical day!

Zip-a-dee-doo-dah Tip For Today: Relocate the Weight

The Zip-a-dee-doo-dah Tip For Today is a series of short inspirational videos, stories, assignments, or quotes that I hope will inspire you to be the very best version of yourself that you can be every single day.

Every New Year, many people make a resolution to lose weight. Weight loss is incredibly hard and many people fail. I was lucky enough to have a great support system over the past few years and I ended up losing 70lbs. However, since the wedding, I have let myself go and I have gained back 10lbs. I am so unhappy with myself especially since Jason and I are taking a trip to Cabo next week! My goal for my trip to WDW in February is to lose these 10lbs. My overall goal for this year is just to be healthy.

I am not alone and the other day my friend, Amy Petermann, started the Facebook group Relocate the Weight. I joined immediately and I love it because we are a group interested in weight loss and healthy living but we are also Disney fans. It's a safe place where you can discuss your trials and success with weight loss. I suggest this group for any Disney fan, even if you are not interested in weight loss, there are still good tips on healthy living!

Happy New Year and let's make 2012 the best year ever!!

Does this inspire you? Join the conversation by leaving a comment! Have a magical day!

Disney Fairytale Wedding & Honeymoon Day 9: The Final Countdown

On the last day of our Disneymoon, we decided to wake up early at 5:45AM, we had a lot to do! We got up, got dressed, and finished packing. I couldn't believe it was almost over but to tell you the truth this trip had been so hectic that I wasn't really sad it was over. I was ready to go home. But I was so sad to throw away some wedding cake :(




We got our bags over to the Magical Express Airline Checkin and the Castmembers recognized us from our Bridal Portraits a few days before! We had fun telling them all about the wedding and the portraits :)

We had been to the Artist's Palette for dinner but never breakfast so we went to try it for the first time. I love breakfast food and this place did not disappoint! Yummy! After that we hopped a bus to Hollywood Studios, and then a short walk to the Boardwalk for another WDWRadio meet!

Jason had never been to the Boardwalk before and we had fun walking around so early in the morning. There were just a handful of people there, mostly around the Boardwalk Bakery which was where we were headed!




This is for you, Jackie ;) I can't wait to see your wedding pictures!!!



And this one is for you, Jess...we think so alike that we took the exact same picture :D



MMM time for some Tea at the Boardwalk Bakery! Too bad we were stuffed from breakfast at the Artist's Palette, these are for next time!



Of course we were the first ones there so we sat and enjoyed some hot tea and coffee.



Slowly others began to arrive at the meet we got to talk to so many more new friends! We hung out till around 11AM and then split to go meet some of my WDWMagic and Twitter friends for slushies in France!! This was an impromptu meet that I sort of organized during the week while we were honeymoonin'.




We entered through International Gateway and when we came over the bridge into France, I spotted a really nice camera and thought, hey Holly has a camera like that...omg that is Holly!! It was a slow motion moment in my life as she ran towards me. I can just hear the Running montage music now...

We were all there nearly an hour early. Love it!! It was so great meeting them!! They were both so sweet. Of course Holly and I bonded over being Disney Wedding Alumni :D

Not too long after, Jess and her Mom met up with us so we all got a picture. It was wonderful!! WDWMagic girls represent!!



Then Holly & Brett went for more Food & Wine and we hung out to meet my twitter friend, Bobby. I'm looking forward to more slushies with you, my friend!



After the impromptu meet, we ended up hanging out all day with Jess and her Mom, Diana. It was so fun! I feel like they are family now. We walked around sharing Food & Wine for awhile and it was perfect! There is so much food there that you cannot eat it all and all I wanted was a bite anyway. It was nice to share a bunch of things between the group. Unfortunately, I never took pictures of any of it! I think by that point, Jason and I were done posing for pictures and wanted to just enjoy our last day.

The last order of business for our trip was the Touring Plans meet at La Hacienda. We made our way over there and I stumbled into a few people that I follow on Twitter who were wearing name tags with their Twitter info. That was so smart and I'm definitely going to start doing that! I had to take a picture of me and another Shelley because we both spell our name the same way!



I saw Henry Work from TouringPlans and immediately gave him a big hug which must be difficult for him since I'm so short and he's so tall!! We also got to meet Sara Bricker and she was just so sweet. We walked in with her chatting about our Disney obsession. It was a fantastic meet and I was so pleased to be in the presence of so many Disney fans!! Next time we need nametags for sure!



This was the first meet that I've been to where they provided food and alcohol! Everything was delicious!




As we ate, we got to talk to different people passing by including WDWMagic's own Tom Bricker! Too bad we didn't get a picture. Next time, my friend!

The meet went too fast and it was time for us to get back to Saratoga Springs to catch the Magical Express to go home :( On our way out, we took a photo with Matt Hochberg of StudiosCentral.com!



And that's a wrap! I am so happy that the wedding and honeymoon went so well. It actually exceeded my expectations and I feel so incredibly lucky that we not only had a great time but we were able to share it with so many new friends! I wasn't sad to be going home. I made friendships on this trip that will last a lifetime and I cannot wait to go back in February 2012 to begin our relocation to Orlando!!

I want to thank everybody who invested the time in reading this trip report and those who participated in my wedding planning journal. You are all my friends and I hope we can meet in person someday.

HAVE A MAGICAL DAY!!!

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